


Cultural Differences

by QueenoftheHobbits



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, human reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-23 20:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15614823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenoftheHobbits/pseuds/QueenoftheHobbits
Summary: Requested by @ani808: Can I request a oneshot of the thorin imagine you did where he tries to court her but dwarven courting traditions go over her head? Please and thank you





	Cultural Differences

Thorin Oakenshield is by no means a young dwarf, but he’s also not an especially old one. But in all his time he’s never tried to court anyone, not a dwarf, not a human, not a hobbit nor an elf. Until he met you. Human, impossibly stubborn and by all rights shouldn’t even be with the company, but you are because Gandalf wants you there and in truth Thorin wants you there as well. 

You’re a pretty ‘little’ thing, but that’s not what has him carving little figures for you each time they camp. You’re stubborn, he likes that, likes that you fight him on things, that you stand up for what you believe, what you think is right. He thinks that would be a good quality in a consort, a partner. He likes that you work hard, try to learn new skills to help out the company. That you refuse to do nothing, to stay idle.

He likes a lot of things about you. He feels ridiculous, a seasoned dwarf acting like a dwarfling with his first crush. But he wants to court you. So he makes these little figurines (gifts made by his own hand as is tradition) and he painstakingly carves them, each one different, each one meant for you. 

You’re stoking the fire when he approaches and hands one to you, you take it with a confused smile and thank him. It’s a pretty thing, a pony, you realise, and you do love it, even if you’re unsure as to why Thorin of all people is giving you gifts. 

The others know of course, they’re dwarves, the gifts are a sign of courtship and acceptance is an acceptance of that courtship, but they know better than to take it at face value. Thorin knows you don’t understand, knows that your acceptance isn’t an acceptance of courtship...as frustrating as that is. 

He doesn’t know much about human courtship and it seems far more complex than dwarven courtship, nonetheless he tries another tactic. Flowers, the Hobbit said flowers were a universal sign of affection. Dwarves don’t give flowers, they’re hard to come by in mountain halls. But they’re in the wild right now and flowers grow abundantly.

You’re setting out your bedroll when he hands them to you. You thank him, once again confused, but slightly more aware that flowers are not necessarily a friendship based gift. You still do not realise his intentions and Thorin realises rather quickly that if he is to court you he will have to ask with words and not with items...humans are...troublesome, complex...and it frustrates him that you don’t just understand his attempts. 

“Y/N, may I talk with you for a moment, in private?” You’ve just finished eating your evening meal when he approaches and you’re unconcerned about the request. He had been so nice to you lately, sweet gifts making your mood brighter. You have no doubt that he isn’t going to be horrible to you. 

“Of course, Thorin.” You smile at him brightly and he wants to bottle it, capture it and look at it whenever the pressure is too much, whenever kinghood becomes too much. 

The two of you walk off to the side of camp, close enough to still be safe, but far enough to not be overheard.

“I...have been trying to ask you something in gifts lately, but it seems that Dwarven and Human tradition does not match...and so it is perhaps better if I ask you with words.” You’re confused, but perhaps it explains the sudden gifts, that there was a meaning behind them that you didn’t see. You feel rather bad that you didn’t see it. 

“Please...go ahead.” You can see that the question has weight, Thorin, even the mightiest of dwarves you’ve met, seems to be struggling to get the words out.

“I...wish to-” He isn’t sure if court is a word humans use, but he can’t think of many others, “court you and those gifts were an offering of that...”

“You wish to court me?” It seems bizarre that a Dwarven King would wish to court you a simple human, but then who are you to decide what another wants? Who another wants? 

You like Thorin as gruff as he can be. He is regal in every sense, but it’s the way he leads, the way he treats those he cares about that matters most. Courtship doesn’t mean marriage, it’s a period of learning about each other, of growing affections together and you think that you’d quite like that. 

“I would like that, Thorin...although humans typically ask outright, we give gifts during a courtship, but not to engage one...perhaps you should tell me more about dwarven courtship?”

“Aye, and perhaps you should tell me about human ones?” 


End file.
